1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cage-type animal traps of the kind generally used outdoors for trapping small to medium sized animals without harming the trapped animal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cage-type traps generally include a cage of metal wire mesh or the like with a door held open by a trigger mechanism until an animal is lured into the trap by suitable pre-inserted bait. After the animal enters the interior of the trap, the animal's weight pressed against the trigger actuates a trip which releases and closes the door, thereby trapping the animal inside the cage. A locking device serves to prevent the animal from opening the door from the inside.
To release the trapped animal, the locking device must be disengaged and the door must be opened. These steps generally require the use of two hands and involve close contact with the animal.
One solution to the problem of close contact with the trapped animal is set forth in copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 11/600,085, filed Nov. 16, 2006 (“the '085 application”), and published as U.S. Publ. No. US2008/0115405 on May 22, 2008, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present application. The disclosure of the '085 application is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.
In the '085 application, the door at the front of a cage-type trap is held in the open position by an over-center set mechanism mounted on the roof of the trap. A cable assembly extends from the set mechanism to a point of connection on the door and a torsion spring, operatively connected to a locking yoke that engages the door, urges the door toward its closed position when the trap is triggered by an animal.
In addition to the cable assembly, the over-center set mechanism further includes a set mechanism platform attached to the roof with a transversely extending set lever bracket mounted thereon. A generally U-shaped set lever is pivotally coupled to both ends of the bracket so as to be movable through slightly less than 180 degrees from one side of the bracket nearest the rear of the trap in the set position to the other side of the bracket nearest the front of the trap in the tripped position. Generally centered on the set lever is a lever grip that can be grasped by a user when setting the trap to facilitate placement of the set lever in the set position.
The over-center set mechanism disclosed in the '085 application can be set using only one hand. Accordingly, opening the door of the trap to release a trapped animal requires only one hand, allowing the user to maintain a greater distance from the front of the trap than is possible with traps requiring two hands to place the trap door in the open position. Nonetheless, the user must grasp the lever grip and move it manually, necessitating that the user be immediately adjacent the trapped animal. When releasing a potentially dangerous animal, this may subject the user to an unacceptably close encounter when the animal exits the trap.
Similar concerns arise as well with other trap designs which require that the user physically open the trap to release the animal.
There is thus a need for a mechanism by which an over-center type cage trap such as that disclosed in the '085 application, or other style traps, may be remotely activated to open an escape door from a distance so that the user can easily release a trapped animal without subjecting the user to close contact with the trapped animal.